Remember Me?
by MadameJustice
Summary: It's the night of his high school reunion and Finn Balor is set to claim his high school crush, Baron Corbin, as his own. But when it is revealed that Baron never seemed to notice Finn even existed, the Irish man is left crushed. Until he stumbles upon an elixir made by an old lab partner.


For many, the thought of attending a high school reunion was more nerve-racking than how it felt when they were taking the SATs. But Finn Balor wasn't scared. If anything, he was _ready_. It had been fifteen years since graduation and Finn was ready to show off! The owner of an international wrestling school, a big house on the beach, and had good looks along with a ton of brains. Nothing was going to stop Finn from showing off.

But he could care less if all the women wanted him and men wanted to **be** him. He only had his eyes for one man and one man only. The same man who he was smitten with in high school, the tall loner he'd sit next to in English, the linebacker that made his heart ache just like he did with the bodies of players from rival schools.

 _Baron Corbin._

To many, he was feared. But to Finn? He was adored...admired...

 ** _Loved._**

How his eyes were always on the six foot eight, tattooed linebacker that stole his heart freshman year. All thanks to Mr. Regal for making them sit next to each other. A shy, innocent soul by heart Finn never mustered up the courage to ask Baron out. The closest he got to ever talking was when the boy asked if he could borrow a pencil during a test. His heart raced when Baron handed a pen over instead.

With Finn being what some would label... _a_ _nerd..._ the only time they were together was during English. Because of Baron's dedication to getting a much-needed sports scholarship, the brunet would wait constantly on edge when he got to stare at those big, chocolate brown eyes. The Irish man's heart shattered into pieces when he went through the sophomore year without Baron Corbin. By then, his only chance at catching a glimpse of him was by attending all the football games. Even having to beg his best friend, Shinsuke, into going with him.

Luckily, fate would bring them back together again when senior year finally showed up. Getting to see Baron every morning in biology and at the end of the day in calculus. The day of their high school graduation was a day of celebration and completion. But for young Balor...it was his last chance to ever see his infatuation...at least for a while.

"Get ready, love. Tonight you're going to be mine!" Confidence oozed from his smile, straightening his tie along with clipping in the silver cufflinks.

The night was still young, the music played throughout the whole gymnasium and the crowd was a mixture of people dancing and talking to others they had not seen in years. The blue orbs scanned the area until they landed right on his target.

 _There he was..._

Laughing with his old football buddies and sipping their beers. Baron still just as handsome as he was back then. He lost quite a bit of weight and his hair now passed his shoulders. His simple shoulder tattoo looked to be a whole sleeve from under his suit.

"Oh, Baron, baby...you're only fifty feet from where I am but it feels like you're worlds away..." Thoughts racing through, trying to collect all the confidence he had just moments ago. How could all of it vanish?!

"This could be your last chance, my friend." He heard Shinsuke, sitting down on the nearby stool. "Go up and talk."

"Uh..When he's done talking. I don't wanna be rude."

"Now's not the time to be shy. There are no more bleachers to hide under while he's practicing his 'perfect spiral'."

"I only did that once!"

"Just go!"

Shinsuke was right. Even though it infuriated Finn to no end, he knew this was very last chance. His last chance to win Baron's heart, to have the tall man in his arms, to finally kiss those plump, pink lips. Guzzling down the rest of his ale, he walked. What felt like miles were only a few a steps before facing Baron's back. "You're so beautiful..."

 **"What?"**

He froze, he was no longer facing a mere back but now his eyes on the brunet's chest. "What ya say?"

"Uh..."

"Eyes up here, pal." Using his index finger to guide the smaller man's eyes to his own. "Something you want?" He asked once more, sounding more annoyed than confused this time.

"...Hello, Baron...I can't believe you're here." He smiled wide, his blue orbs gazing into Baron's chocolate brown ones.

But all his smile got in return was a look of disgust and a back turned to him.

What was going on? What could he have done wrong? "B-Baron..?"

"Look," The taller man breathed out, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What do you want? An autograph? A picture with you?"

"A-autograph...? A-..picture?"

"How did they let you in here?"

"Baron, I was in your graduating class. Remember? I sat next to you in English?"

"I sat next to a lot of people in English class, dude." "Look, you might wanna get out of here before the security guards throw you out."

"Why would they do that?! I'm here for the reunion."

"Wait..." Now it was Baron hesitating, finally putting two and two together. "You're not a fan?"

"No!" He exclaimed, still in shock at Baron's rejection. The man thought Finn was some crazy fan that somehow stuck in? Just to meet him? To get a picture or an autograph?! "I went to school with you! I had classes with you freshman and senior year, hell, I went to all your games. I even went to go to see you when you competed for the state championships!"

"Oh...thought you were a fan." A simple shrug. As if this was all nothing to him...as if none of this was important...as if...Finn never mattered. "Sorry, bud." With a simple pat on the shoulder, Baron turned his back once more. Sipping at his own beer, completely forgetting all about the smaller man.

"You-...you forgot me?"

"Huh?" The confusion came back, all he could was stare down at the forgotten soul.

"You honestly don't remember me? Even after all the English classes? All the time spent in biology? I'd even helped you with your calculus homework!"

"I never forgot you, I never **_knew_** you." The words struck hard, shattering the heart Baron stole all those years ago. So much pain soaring through Finn's entire body, he reached to clutch his tie.

"Are those Lego cufflinks?!" He heard the other man snort, holding back the maniacal laughs aimed at the Irish man's unique taste. "Wow, don't let anyone see those or they'll think you're a total loser."

"Outta my way." Shoving past him, Baron was gone. Along with his little posse of football pals who, thankfully, didn't get in the conversation. But it would be just as bad if they did...his heart would still be broken. Shattered into millions of pieces. Heartache making him numb and his staring down at the ground. Too ashamed to look anyone in the eyes. He didn't deserve to. How could he face someone when he couldn't handle the rejection from the man he was so infatuated with.

"He's gone...gone forever."

The pain was so overbearing. The feeling of rejection was nearly as bad as the vicious snorts Baron released as he tried to hold back laughter strictly meant for teasing. Good thing the alcohol was there to numb it down. That and Shinsuke was there for support. "I can't believe this...all these years...all that time...wasted! Four years I'll never get back, fifteen years mentally preparing for this moment and months on end to prepare physically and emotionally!" He felt tears coming, but being intoxicated as he was, nothing was coming out.

"I've been telling you for almost twenty years now!" Shinsuke huffed, watching as his friend tried to drink away all the misery. "Just forget about Corbin. This is not healthy, Finn...maybe you should see a therapist?"

"I've tried! I've dated man after man after man after man, shit! I've even talked to doctors about this, ...I can't get over Baron..." His head was held in shame, unable to look his friend in the eyes...just like he couldn't do with the football players...just like he couldn't do with anyone that walked by...just like he couldn't do with Baron back in high school and certainly not now.

"...You need a ride home?" The simple question asked by his friend. A very caring, very supportive friend at that but Shinsuke knew that there was little he could say to help Finn feel better. "Call you a cab?"

"Time to see if Uber is really good as everyone says it is." Another meaningless slur from the Irish man before leaving the bar.

What felt like an eternity was probably only an hour of waiting. Waiting for the driver to arrive and just take him away from this horrible place. This wasn't a high school. This was hell. A never-ending nightmare.

 **A joke!**

"Good riddance, Stonewall high." That name, for some, brought good memories of being popular. Sitting at the lunch tables with the popular kids, talking to your friends in the hallway after giving them high fives or hugs. But for others...like Finn...it was miserable. Being scared each day of what their tormentors would do to them, stressing over the homework assigned and watching their crush from afar. Knowing the luckiest they would ever get was probably being friend-zoned. "And goodbye, Baron..."

"Finn?"

He ignored the person, it didn't sound like Baron. The voice had a southern lace to it, Baron's voice was rather deep, had an intimidating appeal to it. If it wasn't Baron or Shinsuke then what was the point? What was the point of coming to the reunion? What was the point of going up to talk to Baron? What was the point of all of this?

"Finn Balor?"

The person wouldn't go away. He was getting closer. He sounded happy almost...as if he was happy to see the man.

"Finn, it is I!"

He turned to see a large man. This man was hairy. Very hairy.

Rather large in regards to weight...

Heavily tattooed. Dreadlocks. Ice cold blue eyes. As cold as they were, he showed a warm smile.

"...Bray Wyatt?"

"Yes! Remember me? I was your old lab partner in chemistry."

"I do, actually...sorry...I'm a little...-"

"Heavily intoxicated?"

"That and just very sad." It didn't matter if Bray went off and told the whole world. Finn was hammered, he would most likely forget all of this in the morning...after doing what he could to forget everything involving Baron and high school in general for that matter.

"Problems with love?" The southern man could tell this conversation was going in a different direction. Instead of on the road of rekindling, and hopes of taking a stroll down memory lane, they were going down the path of darkness and bad memories. "I don't see a wedding ring on any fingers, so I take it's not a divorce."

"Remember Baron Corbin?"

"Oh, yes!" Answering it as if it was an outrageous thing to ask. As if the answer was so easy. "The star football player, the Lonewolf as he liked to call himself, the man that stole your heart."

"Yeah, well, tonight he just stomped on it."

There was silence, Finn turned back around, waiting for the driver to finally show up. Assuming how long he already waited, he would probably be there for at least another hour.

 _"I think I can help you with that, old friend."_

There wasn't that much to be remembered after that. Everything went black. He didn't remember anything, he didn't feel anything.

Except for a throbbing headache because of the hangover. There he lied in his bed under the covers and mountains upon mountains of plush pillows.

Nothing was remembered.

Groans of pain now filling the room, rolling on his stomach and stretching his stiff limbs he found it.

It was a bottle.

A cork to help store the pink liquid, a red ribbon wrapped around the neck of it and a note.

"What the...?" Slurs slowly coming out, taking the paper to see what was going on. Was it a small bottle of alcohol? Something to cook with? Hopefully, the note would say it all...

 _To an Old Friend,_

 _Last night you confessed your undying love for the one named Baron Corbin._

 _How you would care for him._

 _Worship him._

 _Protect him._

 _All he would have to do_ _was just succumb. Say that he loves you too. Say that he wouldn't know what to do if he were to ever lose you, if something unforgivable, ungodly were to ever happen to you._

 _ **But he didn't.**_

 _With my elixir, he will be at your beck and call. He will never allow you to be tired, to sit in a draught, to neglect your food. If you are an hour late coming home, he will be terrified. He will think you are **killed** , or that some harlot has you. _

_Take this potion, it is my gift to you. With just one sip, Baron Corbin will forever be yours._


End file.
